


Just Yuuri

by GabzJones



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Bodyguard Victor, First Meetings, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Modern Royalty, Pining, Prince Yuuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 11:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18590563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabzJones/pseuds/GabzJones
Summary: Victor Nikiforov has been tasked with his most difficult job so far; to protection of Prince Katsuki Yuuri. Nobody knows exactly who the prince is, having been kept sheltered from the public eye, but the time for his identity to be revealed is soon approaching. And Victor has been given the task to maintain the prince's safety as he is revealed to the public.He just didn't expect the prince to be so... fun.





	Just Yuuri

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for my sample for the Royalty Zine. I don't know if I'll write any more. I have got a lot of ideas for this universe, it really just depends on time more than anything else.

Victor’s fingers combed through his bangs, lifting a tuft of silver up and letting the strands drop back over his eye. He huffed, using his finger to carefully brush the hair to the side. Victor’s own azure eyes stared back at him in the mirror as he took his tie in both hands and carefully straightened the fabric. This was the biggest job Victor had ever undertaken. Nothing compared to the importance of this. He was to be the personal bodyguard of Prince Katsuki, a man no one outside the royal family had ever so much as seen before. The family had done their best to keep the prince and princess from the spotlight, wanting them to be able to live as normal a life as possible. Being able to blend into a crowd due to their anonymity meant a better life than royalty could provide. But, it couldn’t last. The prince and princess were growing up. They had to take their place in the public eye soon. 

That’s where Victor came in.

His task was to protect Prince Katsuki with his life. Simple enough. He’d been a bodyguard before, just never to someone so important. His fingers shook against his tie with his nerves, letting out a heavy breath to steady himself. It was time to meet the man he would be dedicating his life to. Another stuttering breath left his lips and Victor followed the red carpet that lined the hallway. Third door on the right, they said. He closed his eyes as he composed himself, lifting a hand and gently knocking at the door.

“Come in,” A soft voice called from the other side of the wooden finish.

Victor was already bowing by the time he’d opened the door, doing his best to remember the customs appropriate for the royal family, “Prince Katsuki, I’m to be your new bodyguard. It’s an honour to meet you.”

“Mm no.” Victor heard the prince moving around the room, though he couldn’t actually see in his bowing position. A hand came to rest at Victor’s chin, slowly lifting his head up. Soft eyes met dark brown, the golden flecks within them shimmering in the light, “Don’t call me that. My name’s Yuuri, okay?”

A blush stained Victor’s nose and along his cheeks. He should’ve known the prince would be beautiful. The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind, but, taking in his features, it was impossible to deny. Prince Katsuki was stunning. No wonder his parents had been trying to keep him out of the public eye. Even if he wasn’t royalty, he’d be turning heads. Victor averted his gaze the moment Yuuri let go, “Yes, sir. Uh, I mean… Yuuri.”

Yuuri’s chuckle was shy, sweet like honey, “What’s your name?”

“My apologies,” Victor bowed once again, “My name’s Victor. Victor Nikiforov.” Had he really forgotten to introduce himself? It was the most simple thing in the world, the basics of manners and he’d forgotten. Victor’s nerves were getting the better of him, but Yuuri didn’t seem to mind. 

His smile matched the sparkle in his eyes, reaching out to take Victor’s hand for a firm handshake, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m sure we’ll get along swimmingly.” Yuuri used the hold on Victor’s hand to tug Victor out of the room as he said, “C’mon.”

Victor stumbled forward with Yuuri’s grip, trying to keep up with his pace as they moved through the halls. The royal home was a big place. It was filled with so many rooms for every possible eventuality, and Victor had only been there for a few hours. He hadn’t had time to map out the entire place in his mind. It was one of the first things he was going to have to do for the sake of protecting the prince, but, for a place so large, it was going to take time. 

Curiosity got the better of Victor, and he asked, “Where are we going?”

Perhaps there were things Yuuri wanted to show him. There might have been specific needs for the prince that Victor should be aware of. That was entirely possible. He vaguely recalled a previous client who expected him to check the closet and under the bed for would-be assassins that he insisted absolutely weren’t monsters. That wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn’t a political figure in his mid-forties. Victor had chalked it up to people and their… eccentricities. Maybe Yuuri had some of his own.

“Out.”

“We can’t leave today, your highness.” Victor pulled away from Yuuri’s grip, stopping in the middle of the hall. “There are paparazzi outside just waiting for the opportunity to catch a glimpse of you. We should probably wait until tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry,” Yuuri smiled reassuringly, “I have a way that they don’t know about.”

Prince Katsuki wasn’t exactly eccentric, but he  _ was _ adventurous. The way out Yuuri had proposed was a sakura tree. A tree that stood tall and proud with branches that were overhanging one of the walls surrounding the royal home. Victor stared at the tree, taking in the pink flowers budding on its branches. Surely not. Surely this was either a joke, or Yuuri was going to press some mysterious button on the side of the tree trunk and open a secret entrance. Royalty had those, right?

“Hope you can keep up.” Yuuri took a running start, rushing at the tree. Using his momentum, he kicked off the trunk, lifting himself in the air just enough to reach the lowest branch. It bowed with Yuuri’s weight but stayed upright. Victor watched in awe as Yuuri continued to move from branch to branch, getting himself higher and higher. He’d done it before, it was obvious. This was too practiced to be spontaneous. Eventually, Yuuri settled on a tall branch, legs swinging gently beneath him as he looked down at Victor, “Your turn.”

“I don’t think that’s wise, your highness.” Victor was calculating in his mind just how much damage Yuuri would do to himself if he fell. He’d probably break something. Yuuri breaking something on Victor’s first day would be a bad look. What he did know was that this wasn’t the first time. If it wasn’t the first time, it meant that that tree had probably felt the effects of a person’s weight over and over. Two people might be too much for it. “I wouldn’t want it to break.”

“Good point.” Yuuri laughed, a soft, carefree sound. “Alright, just watch me and do what I do, okay?”

“You’re gonna get hurt,” Victor tried, “Why don’t we just wait until tomorrow, your highness?”

“That’s not my name,” Yuuri teased, standing upright on the branch. He slowly inched himself further away from the trunk and once he was satisfied with the distance, leaped over to the wall. It was clumsy, Yuuri catching himself at the top with his arms and pushing himself up, but he managed it, looking down at Victor from the top, “Hurry up, Mister Nikiforov. We’re burning daylight.”

“That’s not  _ my _ name,” Victor retorted. He couldn’t stop Yuuri, that much was clear. When he couldn’t stop his clients doing reckless things, all he could do was be there to catch them when they fell. Metaphorically, he hoped. That seemed to be the best approach to handle the prince.

Victor didn’t move with as much practiced ease as Yuuri, but he did make it into the tree, climbing the branches until he reached the desired height. Yuuri was stood at the top of the wall, watching Victor curiously. It made Victor feel like he had something to prove. He needed to show the prince that he wasn’t afraid, that something like this would not stand in the way of his duties. Using the trunk, Victor balanced himself on the branch, slowly moving along until he was close enough to jump over. It wouldn’t be difficult. Just one jump and he’d be fine. 

He wasn’t fine.

Victor barely managed to grab the wall, his fingers quickly beginning to slip. But Yuuri was knelt down, offering his hand with a playful smile. Even without the risk of falling, Victor knew there was no way he wouldn’t take that hand as he was completely captivated by the prince. Yuuri pulled on Victor’s hand, trying to help him up, and it worked. It did. It worked so well that in his momentum, Yuuri lost his balance, falling backward over the other side of the wall and dragging Victor with him. At first, Victor was surprised by how comfortable he was, like he was floating on a warm cloud. Then the sound of a pained groan filled the quiet and Victor realised he’d landed directly on top of the prince.

Victor darted away as though he’d been burned, only to swiftly move back, checking Yuuri’s body for wounds, “Are you okay, your highness? I’m so sorry.” 

“You’re gonna get me killed,” Yuuri chuckled, slowly sitting up.

“You’re gonna get me fired.” Victor reached out, plucking a pink petal from Yuuri’s hair. 

A soft blush spread across Yuuri’s cheeks and he quickly averted his gaze. “I won’t let you get fired,” he assured, getting to his feet and dusting off the seat of his pants, “Come on. We’ve got some things to do.”

Victor was quickly learning a lot about the heir to the Katsuki throne. Yuuri was much more confident when they were alone. Inside the castle walls, he was uninhibited. It was his domain and he knew it. There were no prying eyes, no one trying to judge him or fit him into the hole of ‘perfect prince’. Instead, Yuuri was free to be what he wanted to be within those walls, and it seemed to help him. When Victor had first met Yuuri, he was enchanting, his very presence demanding the attention of everyone in the room. 

Outside the royal residence was a little bit different.

Around people Yuuri wasn’t familiar with, he went quiet. He kept his head low and spoke only when spoken to. It was such a difference, and yet Victor still found it utterly charming. Yuuri had such a sheltered life, hidden from the world in order to let him be as normal as he could outside his royal chambers. This was the man Victor expected to meet. The shy, nervous man who avoided crowds and kept to the quiet streets.

Yuuri gripped Victor’s wrist, tugging him into a coffee shop. It was late afternoon and the cafe had gone quiet. The regular customers were probably already at work for the day. It was perfectly quiet hours for a shop like that. Yuuri kept hold of Victor’s arm as they walked further into the shop, speaking quietly, “They make the best coffee here.”

It was like a child holding their parent’s arm for support. Yuuri was relying on him. Yuuri truly believed Victor was going to keep him safe. It was completely endearing, but a little heartbreaking. Yuuri’s parents had kept him mostly sheltered, giving him the ability to go into the world and feel normal, but it left a stain. It left Yuuri fearful of the day someone realised who he was. The days of normal life were coming to an end. Soon, Yuuri’s face would be recognisable all over the world. No wonder he looked so skittish. He didn’t want his normal life to come crashing in too soon.

“Welcome to the Busy Bean, what can I--” The woman at the counter stopped her practiced greeting when she caught sight of them, and Victor’s heart skipped. He suddenly knew what it was like to be Yuuri, to be afraid of being recognised. Victor hadn’t actually planned for that eventuality yet. Her face lit up, “Yuuri! It’s good to see you again. You don’t usually have company with you.”

“Hey, Yuuko.” Yuuri’s smile was shy, a blush dusting along his cheeks at the mention of his new companion, “This is Victor. He’s a friend of mine. You’ll probably be seeing a lot more of him.”

Victor had always been a protective person. It was why he got into the bodyguard business in the first place. Part of him felt the need to keep Yuuri sheltered, to take him right back home. Away from prying eyes, from people who might realise he was so much more than his pretty face. But he also knew that Yuuri would hate him for it. Yuuri just wanted a normal life. As long as this girl wasn’t a danger to him, Victor had to play along. 

“Pleasure to meet you,” Victor offered her a smile and bowed his head, formal greetings long since ingrained in his very being.

Yuuko giggled behind her hand, “The pleasure’s all mine. Now, what can I get you boys? The usual for Yuuri?”

Yuuri’s shy smile was growing more and more captivating by the second, “Please. What do you want, Victor?”

“Just a regular coffee,” he shrugged.

She was already writing on a little notepad as they spoke, “Cream? Sugar?”

“Uh yes, and… four.” 

The smirk on Yuuri’s face caused a blush to break out on Victor’s as Yuuko ushered them aside to wait for their drinks. “Victor has a sweet tooth,” Yuuri murmured under his breath but didn’t speak further.

The day was slow. Yuuri didn’t seem to want to do anything in particular. He seemed to just enjoy the normalcy. Yuuri wasn’t reckless. Seeing him climb that tree and jump that wall just for a day in town had lead Victor to believe he had his hands full, that he was dealing with a prince who would rather get himself hurt than make Victor’s job easy. But, that wasn’t it. Yuuri wasn’t putting himself in danger for the hell of it. He was driven by desperation, the desperation to feel like a normal person. 

Victor couldn’t begin to imagine what it was like to be so sheltered. Of course, he understood why Yuuri’s parents did it. They did it so that Yuuri could have these moments, so that he could get out and see the world without being recognised. It was just so difficult to make those moments happen. That’s why Yuuri took those opportunities for himself. He was like a bird with clipped wings, living in a cage and gazing out at the world around him, desperate for the day he could fly. It was tragic in its own way. One day, a day just beyond the horizon, Yuuri’s wings would be clipped for good. One day, he’d run out of opportunities to fly. Until then, Victor would humour him. He’d follow the prince and keep him safe no matter where that took him. That was his job.

They had settled at the end of a pier by evening, their legs dangling from the edge as they watched the sun begin to set. The sky was like a beautiful watercolour painting; reds and oranges bleeding into purples and blues. Any other day, Victor might have been enthralled by the sight, but he was distracted. Distracted by the prince. Yuuri wasn’t watching the sunset. Instead, his eyes were focused on his hands in his lap, wringing his fingers together nervously.

“I want to know the people of my country.” Yuuri finally broke the silence, voice quiet and contemplative. “I want to know what I’m protecting. I want to know about their struggles. How can I be a prince they can be proud of if I don’t know what they need?”

“You’re already a prince they can be proud of, your highness,” Victor assured.

“Maybe.” Yuuri nodded, the barest hint of a smile playing on his lips, “When I visit them, I can be normal, but I can also hear what’s worrying them. They aren’t afraid to tell me things, they don’t treat me differently. To them, I’m just Yuuri. That’s all I ever want to be to them.”

Victor watched Yuuri curiously, admiring the sparkle in his eyes as he finally looked up at the sunset, “Prince Katsuki, I… I wish I could tell you it’ll always be that way. But, I think you know me being here is proof enough that things are going to change.”

Yuuri let out a quiet chuckle, nodding his head, “I know. Soon, I won’t be Yuuri anymore. I’ll be Prince Katsuki Yuuri of the royal family. But, even if the whole world sees me as nobility, I just want to be Yuuri to the people close to me.” He smiled shyly, a blush staining his cheeks, “It’s really important to me that you just call me Yuuri, okay?”

Victor should’ve known. Yuuri had been quite insistent. He smiled, averting his gaze as he huffed out a laugh of his own, “I can’t promise to get it right immediately. I’ve been taught to remain formal with my clients. But, I can promise to try.”

“That’s all I ask. Thank you, Victor.”

Victor sighed, getting to his feet, “We should be going, Yuuri. It’s getting late. I wouldn’t want your parents thinking I’d lost you.” Though Yuuri stood up, he didn’t move away, staring up at the sky for a long moment. Victor frowned, “Yuuri?”

When the prince finally turned to him, there was a smirk on his lips, a glint of mischief in his eyes. It was a face Victor would soon learn meant trouble. Trouble, and brilliance all rolled into one. Before he could question it, though, Yuuri had a grip of his tie, letting himself fall backward into the water and dragging Victor with him. The sudden cold was a shock to Victor’s system, surfacing a moment later with the prince at his side, smiling so dazzlingly as he giggled.

There was a moment of silence between them as they simply watched each other, Victor finally giving into temptation and splashing the water at Yuuri. Explaining themselves to the king and queen left Victor’s thoughts as Yuuri’s laughter grew. He’d risk it all for the chance to see the prince’s smile.


End file.
